1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to mobile data systems, and more specifically relates to providing lawful interceptions in flat and next generation mobile data networks with data offload at the basestation.
2. Background Art
Mobile phones have evolved into “smart phones” that allow a user not only to make a call, but also to access data, such as e-mails, the internet, etc. Mobile phone networks have evolved as well to provide the data services that new mobile devices require. For example, 3G networks cover most of the United States, and allow users high-speed wireless data access on their mobile devices. In addition, phones are not the only devices that can access mobile data networks. Many mobile phone companies provide equipment and services that allow a subscriber to plug a mobile access card into a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port on a laptop computer, and provide wireless internet to the laptop computer through the mobile data network. As time marches on, the amount of data served on mobile data networks will continue to rise exponentially.
The next generation of mobile data network will be 4G or fourth generation. 4G is a flat architecture compared to prior 3G systems since the radio network controller (RNC) is not used and the functions of the RNC are distributed between the eNodeB, a mobility management entity (MME) and a serving gateway (SGW). While the next generation wireless network is the 4G network, many providers are transitioning to the 4G through the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The roadmap for 3GPP includes 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 3GPP LTE Advanced. These near term solutions have a similarly flat architecture compared to 3G. (These advanced data communication networks are collectively referred to herein as LTE or flat mobile data networks.) Even with the upgrade of mobile data networks to these new flat architectures, the demand of users for increased data and services will continue to push data links in the mobile data network to their capacity. In many locations, portions of the mobile data network are connected together by point to point microwave links. These microwave links have limited bandwidth. To significantly boost the throughput of this links requires the microwave links to be replaced with fiber optic cable but this option is very costly.
Lawful interception (LI) in a mobile data network generally encompasses gathering communications network data and sending it to a lawful enforcement agency (LEA) for analysis or evidence. Standards have been developed for LI by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Systems incorporating LI according to these standards are well known in the prior art.